Sunshine
by be-my-guardian-angel
Summary: When he finally locked eyes with her, Ally's heart skipped a beat and she didn't know why. His brown eyes seemed devoid of any emotion, but she couldn't help but feel that there were secrets behind them. And for some reason she wanted to know what those secrets were./Or, the Dawson's take a troubled teen by the name of Austin Moon into their home and Ally can't stay away.
1. Chapter 1

***waves***

**Hello!**

**This is my first Austin & Ally story/oneshot. I've been writing Victorious on and off for years, but since that got canceled (unfortunately) the fandom and stories are fading rapidly. I've always been fond of this show, Auslly in particular. I've read dozens of fanfics and oneshots, so I thought...why not try writing one myself?**

**Now, Austin will be a bit OOC but that's only because the mold I put him in for this story and his personality on the show don't match. Ally will be relatively the same. Please make sure to tell me if I messed up any details or if the whole thing is a hot, stinking mess that I never should've posted. Ally's parents are together, just for this. **

**Reviews make my day :)**

**_Read, Relish, Review._  
**

* * *

Ally took a bite of her burger, swinging her legs back and forth under the kitchen counter. She watched her brown-haired mother, Penny, scurry around the kitchen for a moment as she tried to finish up dinner. "Mom?"

"Yes, sweetheart?" Mrs. Dawson asked, looking up briefly from the pot of rice she stirred. "What is it?"

"When will Dad be back home? It's taken him forever, don't you think?" The 16 year-old reached for her glass of Coke and took a few swallows of it.

Mrs. Dawson smiled and shook her head. "They'll be here in a few minutes, dear. And then you'll have a new brother or sister. Aren't you excited?"

"Not really." Ally mumbled, hopping off the bar stool to put her plate in the kitchen sink. Every year, her family took a juvenile delinquent under their wing and trained them to be respectful and good mannered kids. It was a part of a program that Ally's family had been involved in since she was little. Once the kid stayed for a few months, he or she moved on to an adoption agency where a family would take them in. The Dawson's made a bit of money from it, but mostly they did it out of the goodness of their hearts.

Needless to say, Ally had quite a few "siblings" over the years. The bad part about it was that her parents spent so much time on the surrogate children that they somewhat neglected raising their own. Ally got along well enough, though; she'd made a few friends at school that kept her company. Most of the time though, the boys that came tried to make advances on her—usually a slap put them in the right direction.

Ally knew that this new guy would be no different. Still, she supposed it wouldn't hurt to be nice to him once her Dad brought him home.

As if on cue, the familiar black Sedan pulled up in front of the house. Mrs. Dawson looked out the window that overlooked the sink, her face lighting up with excitement. "Oh goodness gracious, they're here! Ally, go make sure the house looks tidy and then open the door for them." The older woman wiped her hands on her apron and tucked the loose strands of hair back into the neat bun that sat atop her head.

Ally bit her lip, but stayed rooted to the spot.

Mrs. Dawson sighed and pushed Ally forward. "Go, go! Don't dawdle, sweetheart. Oh, and _smile_, for goodness sakes! Don't look like you just had your appendix taken out."

Ally rolled her eyes and, after briefly scanning over the living room, opened the door and walked outside to greet her father and brother.

"Hey, Ally!" Lester greeted brightly, exiting the car. He walked over to the back door and opened it, grabbing some bags from the trunk. Ally craned her neck, trying to get a glimpse of the guy or girl that'd be living with she and her family for the next few months.

But they weren't getting out of the car. Ally found that she couldn't blame them—she wasn't very excited for this, either.

"Come on, guy..." She heard her father grumble. Was it really that difficult for him? It wasn't like her family was poisonous or something. "Everyone's waiting to meet you. Besides, I bet you'll like Ally."

_Please don't. _She thought, rolling her eyes and crossing her arms over her chest. Finally, after about a minute more of the gruff prodding from her Dad, the guy finally got out. Ally wasn't exactly thrilled but she still put on a smile, striding up to him. He looked to be about her age, slightly taller than her. His blond hair sat a bit messily atop his head as he surveyed his new home. He wore a red flannel shirt, tattered jeans and black converse. He wasn't smiling, though, but then again Ally wasn't really expecting him to.

One step at a time, she supposed.

When he finally locked eyes with her, Ally's heart skipped a beat and she didn't know why. His brown eyes seemed devoid of any emotion, but she couldn't help but feel that there were secrets behind them. And for some reason she wanted to know what those secrets were.

"Hey, I'm Ally." She greeted somewhat excitedly. "Welcome to our home."

"I'm Austin." He said flatly, looking her over briefly. "Are you always this cheery?"

"Pretty much, yeah! There's a lot to be happy for, y'know?" She grinned but he didn't blink.

"Not really, sunshine." The nickname came out bitterly on his tongue and Ally felt offended. He pushed past her and headed for the house.

"Don't worry, he'll come around." Her father said as he rested his hand on her shoulder.

Ally frowned.

* * *

In the month and a half that followed, Austin didn't come around. Most of the time dinners were silent. He rarely said much to Ally but if he did talk it was only to make her get out of the bathroom so he could shower. The only time he talked to his "parents" was to ask for another helping of food or if he could go out somewhere.

Ally wasn't used to getting the cold shoulder, and frankly she was sick of it. Sometimes she'd sneak into the basement and "glance" at the few belongings Austin had brought with him from juvie when he wasn't around. It was wrong, but she wanted to know more about him. Still, she had no clue why. Austin was so...fascinating to her. Like a mystery that was just ready and waiting to be solved. Any time she tried to inquire about his past he'd either not answer or give her a vague response—but that wouldn't happen today. She was sure of it.

It was around 3:00 when Ally came home from school. Her phone buzzed in the pocket of her jeans but she ignored it, knowing it was Trish asking her for a picture of Austin. Ally had told her bestie about Austin in between classes that day, and the girl was interested and wanted to meet him. For some reason, unlike any of the other boys that had come and gone over the years, Ally felt protective over Austin somehow.

The brunette threw her backpack on the easy chair and looked around the house. No one was in sight, and it made her frown. She sighed and strode over to the kitchen, eyes focusing on the blue Post-It note on the fridge door. Ally picked it up and scanned it:

_Your father and I are at the store, we'll be back later. There's a frozen pizza in there for you, and Austin's lunch is on the counter._

_Mom xx_

Ally sighed and picked up the tray that had a ham and cheese sandwich, chips, a homemade brownie and a tall glass of root beer. Ally rolled her eyes; Austin gets all this and all she has is pizza? Nevertheless, she trudged downstairs.

"Austin?" she called loudly, trudging down the few wooden steps into the dimly lit area. "I've got your lunch."

From a corner of the room, Austin sat up and paused his game on the XBox. "Put it over here, sunshine."

"Come and get it." She deadpanned flatly. He constantly called her by the nickname he'd given her when they first met, but she didn't know whether to be annoyed or feel happy he had a pet name for her.

He rolled his eyes and stalked over to her, taking the tray a bit roughly. Their fingers brushed together briefly and Ally felt goosebumps prick her arms. _What was that?_

"Looks good. Did you make it?" He said, taking a huge bite from the sandwich and shoving a few chips in his mouth.

"Nope, Mom did." She was surprised he hadn't shooed her away by now. "I've just got pizza. Frozen, too."

Austin chuckled and she threw him a glare. "Wow, I guess I'm finally being treated like something special, huh?"

She shrugged in response, but couldn't help detecting the tone of sadness in his voice. Without asking, she plopped down beside him on the bed. "It's always been like this whenever we get someone new. Mom always gives them the royal treatment."

"And leaves you behind?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.

Ally nodded. Why did Austin want to make conversation with her? This never happened. "Makes me feel left out, I guess."

He scoffed. "You have no idea what left out means, sunshine. Got sent to juvie all because some jerks thought it would be cool to set me up. I always wanted to fit in growing up. Never worked, though..." Austin trailed off and seemed to be someplace far away, somewhere Ally couldn't go. She studied him, noting the pain and sadness in his eyes.

"I'm sorry," She said, not really needing to. "I felt like I was always the freak at school, for no reason. Still am, I guess. Got bullied, pushed around...it's never fun."

Was that sympathy she saw in his eyes? It didn't seem possible. "Sounds tough. Heh, maybe we could've helped each other growing up. The pain would've been easier, I bet."

Her chest tightened at his words. She suddenly wanted to talk to Austin more like this, maybe even get to know everything about him. She wanted to be the person he turned to if he was in trouble or needed help. His friendship, if he was offering it, was something she wanted more than ever.

"What are you staring at?"

Ally snapped out of her funk, face flushed. Austin's stoic face had returned, just as she expected. "Um, nothing, I..." She fumbled with the bracelet on her wrist. "Just thinking."

Austin stared at her for a moment, and she felt small under his gaze. "You know what, Ally?"

"What?" She began to feel deflated, knowing he would send her back upstairs in the next second or two. Why had she been so stupid in thinking that she'd actually gotten through to him? He probably just felt lonely, like she did sometimes, and put aside his disdain for her momentarily so they could have this conversation. It probably didn't mean a damn thing to him.

To her surprise, the boy gave a half smile—she'd never seen his mouth turn upwards before. "You should come down here more often."

* * *

As the months passed, Austin and Ally grew closer. Ally had gotten past a few of Austin's walls, and Austin in turn had taught her to stand up for herself a bit more. She'd taken him to school a couple of times (only upon her mother's request; otherwise she really wouldn't bother) and he'd gotten to know her small circle of friends.

She was comfortable spending time with him because he knew what to say to her, and didn't treat her like a little kid. Ally knew that within the next month he'd be gone from the Dawson home—but she didn't want him to leave. But then again, whenever her parents discussed adopting him, she refused vehemently. Why was that, you might ask?

She'd fallen for him. Hard.

Ally knew being in love with someone like Austin was absolutely ridiculous, but she couldn't help it. She felt that even with their stark differences, they were somehow the same. They understood each other and knew when not to push the wrong buttons. She admired him deeply for that.

Friday, June 10th. One week until summer break—and three weeks until the agency came back for Austin. Ally was nervous because a few families had sent in applications to adopt him, once they saw how much the Dawson's had altered his behavior. She didn't want that to happen.

On this particular day, the day fate chose to disrupt the otherwise perfect balance in the Dawson's household, Mrs. Dawson had insisted that Ally take Austin to school again, only because the folks who were thinking about adopting him wanted to enroll him into Marino High._ "Have him get a feel for the school!"_ She'd told her daughter the night before.

So, Ally obeyed her mother's wishes (although she felt Austin already knew the school by now). For some reason, almost everyone was eager to talk to Austin that day. Ally wasn't sure how many times she'd lost sight of him, but when it was lunchtime and he still hadn't shown up, she started to worry.

"Trish, have you seen Austin lately?" She asked as she took a seat next to her black-haired friend.

The girl shrugged, munching on a French fry. "Haven't seen him since biology. Why is everyone so interested in him all of a sudden? He's not Justin Bieber."

Ally chewed on her lip. She reached in her purse and pulled out her phone, deciding she would call him—and that's when high-pitched screams rang out, making all heads snap up. Everyone turned towards the noise and all eyes went wide as Kira Starr emerged, tank top torn at the stomach and hair in a frenzy.

Face red and crying, she stuck out a finger towards Ally. "That freak of yours tried to rape me!"

Ally's heart jolted as the attention switched to her. She didn't have to ask; she already knew she was talking about Austin. "What the—? Kira, what's going on? Where's Austin?"

Seconds later the Principal and guidance counselor, David, joined the growing crowd of students, a familiar figure between them: Austin Moon. Ally stared at him in disbelief, eyes silently begging for an explanation. He looked upset, and mouthed the words "Help me," before hanging his head low.

"What happened?" Ally walked up to the David, swallowing hard. _Don't cry…don't even think about it._ "Austin would never hurt anyone, you know that."

David simply looked disappointed. "We heard screaming in the janitor's closet, and Kira came running out just like this...I saw Austin trying to run after her but I caught him just in time."

"I wasn't even doing anything!" Kira sobbed, covering her face with her hands. "I was trying to walk to class, and he pushed me in the closet and tried kissing me—"

"Liar!" Austin yelled, trying to lunge for her but was held back. "She was mad because she couldn't get in my pants. I told her off, I said I was into somebody else but she didn't listen! I swear to God, I only touched her to get her off me." The looks on everyone's faces showed they were beginning to side with Kira, or were conflicted. The torn clothes, the sobbing…it all added up to one horrible thing that Ally didn't want to accept.

Why did this have to happen? Why now?

Austin's face held a brokenness Ally's seen before, and her chest ached. "Please, believe me! I could go back to juvie for this—or worse!" His eyes found Ally's in seconds. "Sunshine...Ally...please believe me. You're the only person I can trust."

Ally finally allowed the salty tears to run down her cheeks. She couldn't believe this was happening. As she opened her mouth to speak, sirens interrupted her. Squad cars began to circle the school. She knew eventually Austin would leave, but not like this. "No! He didn't do this!" She screamed, latching onto Austin's arm for dear life. "Please! Somebody call my Dad. He knows Austin, he'll straighten this out. I promise you!"

Two uniformed officers emerged from the cars. David let go of Austin's arm and strode over to talk to them. Who'd called them? She was starting to feel numb as fear clouded her brain. She let out a heart-wrenching sob and threw her arms around Austin in a hug of desperation. This wasn't how things were supposed to be. "I'm so sorry, Austin, I–I can't..."

"We'll be okay, sunshine." Austin said, hugging her tightly. "Don't worry about me, alright? I can take care of myself." Who was he trying to convince? Himself or Ally?

"Better watch out, or he'll try to get you next."

Ally whirled around on her heels, eyes filled with anger as she strode over to Kira, slapping her hard across the mouth. "You filthy _slut._" She said in a low growl, knowing her mom would frown upon the use of such language, but not caring. "You're gonna pay for this, do you hear me?"

Kira smirked. "No, I think he is." She said as the officers led Austin away.

* * *

The weeks that followed were a blur in Ally's mind. She tried to get her mind off things by reading or hanging out with Trish, but it didn't work. Nothing did.

It seemed that the whole world was against Austin, wanting him to serve time for the attempted rape of Kira Starr.

The world won.

Austin was headed back to juvie, this time for two years. Ally's heart broke when she heard the news. The family that had wanted to adopt him had withdrawn their application. Everyone at school was whispering, starting rumors and adding fuel to the gossip. Kira wasn't shaken, though, which only made Ally's anger boil even more. She was sick of it all.

Austin was to pack his bags immediately and be driven away from their house in a police car later on that evening. After all that they'd been through, this was how it ended? It was so wrong. Everything was wrong.

The night before Austin was supposed to leave, Ally went down to his room in the basement. She set the tray of food on the bed, like always, and sat down in her usual spot. A wistful smile touched her lips as she smoothed out a wrinkle on the bed sheets. It would probably be his last home cooked meal for a while.

A lump formed in her throat suddenly as she relived all the memories they'd had down here. Just the two of them, and not a care in the world. She remembered how many times she wanted to admit her feelings for him but chickened out. Or the times she'd had a bad day and without even asking, he hugged her and said everything would be okay.

Now it was anything but.

"Ally?"

She turned to look at him as he came out from the bathroom. He wore a striped sleeveless shirt and tattered jeans, like the ones he wore when he first came. "Hi," she said softly, gesturing to the food. "I made it this time."

Austin half smiled and sat on the other side of the tray. He put a few chips in his mouth and nibbled at the sandwich. "It's great, thanks. Not that hungry though." He stood and walked over to one of the open suitcases. "Hand me that shirt behind you?"

Ally nodded and tossed it to him. "Can I ask you something?"

He didn't reply, just kept folding clothes and putting them in the bag. Ally cleared her throat and drew in a deep breath. "When...when you told Kira you were into someone else, who—"

"I don't want to talk about that." He said curtly.

She stood and pulled on his arm. "I need to know...please, before you go. Who's the girl you told Kira you liked?" Somehow she knew the answer but wanted Austin to say it himself.

Austin's shoulders slumped, and he slowly turned around to face her. "You. It's always been you." He raked a hand through his hair and shook his head. "It doesn't matter now, though. We were never meant to be anyways."

Ally felt a warmth spread throughout her body. _It's always been you._

Just knowing that he reciprocated what she'd been afraid to come to terms with made her glad and sad at the same time. Why hadn't she told him her feelings sooner? Things probably would've been easier that way. "I don't know what to say, I just...I need you. I need you with me, Austin. Please." Her voice cracked as she looked up at him. It was useless pleading with him, but it was better he knew now than never. "I love you."

"Sunshine, I...you can't. You can't love someone like me." He couldn't remember the last time a girl had made him feel like this—complete. And she was about to be taken away from him. "Just forget I was ever in your life."

Ally shook her head, swallowing the lump in her throat. "That's impossible. You've changed me in so many ways. I can't imagine not having known you. I know things suck right now, but I want to remember you before any of this happened. Just..." She swallowed hard and wound her arms around his neck. "Kiss me. Please."

He obliged, his lips hitting hers forcefully. It was something they both needed more than anything. He gently squeezed her sides and pulled them closer, slightly afraid that if he let go, she would disappear.

The kiss deepened and Ally tugged gently at Austin's hair, savoring the feeling of bliss she felt in his arms. She whimpered softly as he ran his tongue across her bottom lip. Tilting her head, Ally parted her lips slightly and their tongues danced in perfect harmony. She never wanted to let him go, but she knew it was inevitable.

"Austin?" She said after breaking the kiss, her voice barely above a whisper. She looked into his deep brown eyes—eyes that once held secrets but now held love, reserved only for her. "Promise you won't forget me?"

He smiled a little. "I could never forget someone as amazing as you, Ally Dawson."

* * *

**Thanks for reading! :) hope you enjoyed, lemme know if I did good for my first story! Now if you read something that referred to Victorious, some of this was apart of a Victorious story I wrote a while ago. So I apologize if you see that, or typos :x **

**Love,**

**- a r i a**


	2. Chapter 2

**Howdy! Back by popular demand, I suppose. :D You guys are incredibly awesome, I was expecting feedback, but not ****_that_**** much…I'm not really sure about making this a full-length story just yet, because I'm trying to finish up my Victorious one—but make sure you follow this so you can be updated! I'm not sure how juvie is operated, so I'm just guessing (hopefully none of you have been, so I can't ask you lol) on how things run. Love y'all!**

* * *

**_Marion Regional Juvenile Detention Center_**

**_5:30 p.m_**

* * *

Austin blew out a sigh, throwing the tennis ball up in the air once more. It bounced against the ceiling and blew past him on its way down, hitting Jeremy's arm. He grunted and tossed it back up, refocusing his attention to the TV in the corner of the small room. "Can't you do anything else to pass the time, you weirdo? Besides, they should be bringing in dinner soon."

Austin shrugged, sitting up on his top bunk. "I dunno. Did you get a chance to see what's on the menu by any chance?"

Jeremy grimaced from down below. "All I know is they'd better have hamburgers. I'm starving."

Austin chuckled and continued tossing the ball. Being in juvie the second time around wasn't as bad, seeing as he now knew all the rules and had gained a few friends in the process. Jeremy had been one of them, even though they hadn't talked much during his first stint. "I don't really care what they serve tonight, Jer."

Jeremy scoffed, readjusting his position on the beanbag. Spongebob said something stupid on the screen before he looked up at him. "Of course you don't, 'cause you're the only one getting out of this hell hole tomorrow. I'm sure your folks will give you a regular feast once you get home."

Austin scratched the back of his neck, knowing his friend had been in a bad mood in the days leading up to his release. He technically didn't have any "folks" to return to; he was an only child and both his parents passed away shortly after his initial arrest. "You'll be out before you know it, man."

The boy rolled his eyes. "If two more years is 'before you know it', I'd rather die." He grabbed the remote from the carpeted floor and began to channel surf. "You got a girl, right? What's her name again?"

"Ally Dawson," The blond replied, a soft smile touching his lips as her face came across his mind. He missed her terribly, more than he thought he would. She and her parents had visited him once or twice, but their time was short and he and Ally didn't get to talk by themselves much. Not to mention the drive from Miami to the detention center was four hours long.

The first time she came, his heart ached and he wanted to break through the glass and kiss her. She'd cried, he'd begged her not to, telling her through the phone that he'd be out soon. He wondered if she'd kept tomorrow's date in her mind after all this time...

"Hey, lover boy. Snap out of it, will you?" Jeremy snapped his fingers repeatedly, suddenly bringing Austin out of his reverie. "Did you even hear what I asked you?"

"Yeah, and I told you what her name was already." Austin said slowly, as if he hadn't zoned out and Jeremy was the one acting odd.

The raven-haired boy rolled his eyes for what seemed to be the umpteenth time. "No, you idiot. I heard that part. I meant after that...ugh, I'll say it again: how do you know she hasn't forgotten you by now?"

Austin tilted his head to the side, confused. "What do you mean?"

Jeremy sighed. "Dude, c'mon. I bet you can't even remember the last time she visited you. It's been two long years, man. It may not seem long to you, but that's a hell of a long time for a girl. She's not gonna wait her whole life for you. Trust me, I know."

Austin bit his bottom lip. Before he'd left the Dawson's home that night, he and Ally had hugged and kissed, but never really discussed what they were as a result of finally admitting their feelings for one another. Technically they didn't have time, but looking back on it he assumed that once he left juvie they'd just...pick up where they'd left off.

But what if Ally didn't see things that way?

"Ally wouldn't...she wouldn't do that to me. I'm sure of it." A pang of nervousness hit his stomach in that second. He'd seen so many guys at Marino High, most good-looking along with a few that Ally said were interested in her—what if she'd hooked up with one of them? What if she simply grew tired of waiting?

"All I'm saying is, don't be surprised if she isn't into you anymore. Happened to me. It sucks, but it happens." Jeremy finally found a show he wanted to watch and settled back in the beanbag chair, leaving Austin alone with his thoughts.

What if Jeremy was right? The mere thought of her being with someone else unnvered him. A year ago he never thought any girl would mean so much to him, but Ally did, he knew that would never change. But he certainly didn't want to entertain the idea that she'd simply lose interest in him after being apart for two years...it didn't make sense to him and yet, it might've to her. "If Ally did do something like that...should I even make a try at being friends?"

From below, Jeremy shrugged without so much as a glance upward. "How should I know, bro? That's up to you two."

Austin stayed silent, not really knowing what else to say.

* * *

"Oh Austin, honey, it's so good to see you again!" Penny threw her arms around the blond in a tight hug. He hugged her back with a soft smile on on face, thankful to finally be free and also have his things back. The only person who was sad to see him leave was Jeremy, but Austin had given his friend his number. Hopefully once he was released in 2016 they'd be able to keep in contact.

"It's good to see you too." He glanced behind her, heart falling a little when he didn't see Ally's familiar figure in the car. It was a Saturday, so why couldn't she have come? Jeremy's words came ringing back in his ears: _Don't be surprised if she isn't into you anymore._

"I'll be right back, okay? You can go ahead and get in the car, it's unlocked." She straightened out her navy blue striped pantsuit and walked inside, presumably to speak with Van Miller, the director of the center.

Austin sighed and got into the black Sedan, slamming the door shut and leaning on the headrest. Blowing out a sigh, he wondered where Penny was going to take him now. Also, where would he live? Taking him back to the adoption agency was unlikely because they probably were still dwelling on the frame-up by Kira a bad spot for his rep. It made him mad, but was there really any way to get around it?

Dozens of thoughts were swirling in his mind but only one remained as Penny got into the car and they pulled away: he wanted—no, scratch that, needed—to see Ally.

"So..." Penny started a bit awkwardly as they drove down the freeway, "I would ask how you've been doing, but—"

Austin laughed a bit. "Nah, it's fine. But actually, I've been pretty good. It wasn't as hard the second time around. I got to see some of my old friends, at least." She smiled a little in reply. "How is uh, Ally doing?" He cringed, considering that he didn't want to sound desperate...

Penny's smile fell just the tiniest bit, eyes seeming to recall something that Austin didn't know about. "Oh, she's fine, I'm sure...we haven't talked in a while, though. That's where I'm headed now, actually. She's graduating high school today. She and Lester weren't expecting me and she definitely isn't expecting you. I just hope we can make it there in time."

Austin smiled a little, feeling proud that Ally had finally made it out of Marino High, but even more excited that he was going to see her as a surprise. One thing bothered him about Penny's statement, however: "That's awesome. But why wouldn't she be expecting you?"

She glanced at him as the minor traffic slowed to a halt. "Honey, didn't you know—?" And then she paused, grunted a little, apparently miffed at her mistake. She had to get used to him being here again, she supposed. "Lester and I got a divorce. About a year after you left. I live in Africa now, actually. Ally and I Skype sometimes, but she really hasn't forgiven me for it...so I figured this would be a nice way to try and make amends."

"Oh," was all Austin could manage, twiddling his thumbs. At least Ally still had both of her of parents with her. "I'm sorry."

She chuckled dryly. "Don't be."

Austin turned away then, staring outside the window as greenery and large fields passed them by. He wanted to ask Penny more, but didn't want to make her uncomfortable at all. "Um, Mrs. D...ugh, how do I say this? Is Ally...I mean, has she thought about me a lot?"

Penny offered him a motherly smile, and for some reason he felt that she was expecting that question. "From what I heard, you're the only thing she's thought about. And talked about. She's really missed you, Austin."

The blond felt the heat rise to his cheeks. "That's great. I've missed her a lot too." But that still didn't mean she was in love with him. She still could be with someone else, right?

He guessed that he'd just have to see as they pulled up to a large brick building.

"C'mon, I'm sure they've already called her name already." Penny turned off the car, unlocked the doors and nearly yanked Austin's arm from the socket as they bolted for the white double doors. When they finally made it in, unfortunately the ceremony was just ending, and Austin could tell Penny was disappointed in herself. He knew she was trying her hardest and hoped Ally would be able to see that.

A few people pushed past them with their respective graduate not far behind, heading for where the already clustered area where photos were being taken. Penny greeted a few faces she recognized but tried her best to focus on finding Ally and Lester. "Do you see them around anywhere, Austin?" She asked, crossing her arms over her chest.

Austin shoved his hands in his pockets and glanced around. "No, I don't—"

"Oh my God, you made it!" A familiar voice chirped from behind, making Penny and Austin whirl around. Trish stood there, diploma in hand and grinning ear to ear. "Austin, hey! I didn't know you were gonna be here!"

Austin smiled, giving her a quick hug. "Hey there, Trish. Congratulations."

She smiled wider, if that was even possible. "Thanks, I didn't think I'd make it all the way. Have y'all caught up with Ally yet?"

Penny shook her head. "Actually no, we got here pretty late. Do you know where she is? Because we were trying to surprise her."

The Latina's eyes lit up. "She's in the bathroom, and I think Lester is talking to one of the parents. But this is perfect! Lemme go get her, okay? Go into the auditorium and wait there."

Ally let a sigh blow past her lips as she surveyed herself in the mirror. No more Marino High. No more drama. Hopefully, no more Kira. She was finally done. She could pursue her dreams in college and maybe go on to become famous.

So how come she didn't feel happy?

In a sense she was, but for the most part the typical elation one was meant to feel was nowhere near her body. Her mother, as she'd expected, wasn't able to make it to the ceremony even though a month ago she promised she would. Even as the school year came to a close for her and dozens of others, boy after boy kept hitting on her, particularly a guy named Dallas that simply wouldn't stop until she agreed to a date of any kind. Granted, she wanted to be in a relationship, possibly get married in the future an have a couple kids—but not with any of the boys she'd known at school.

She wanted Austin.

Ally hated sounding like one of those hormonal tween girls that to kiss wanted Harry Styles and possibly more, but it was true. She wasn't ready to start planning a future with him; he hadn't even officially asked her to be his girlfriend. But two years had made her realize that fate had specifically made their paths cross; she loved him so much that she feared the worst the next time she saw him. Would he have hardened back into the guy he was before she'd torn down his walls? Worst of all, did he even love her anymore?

"Ally! Ally!" Trish suddenly came bolting into the bathroom, nearly plowing over someone in the process. Needless to say it broke Ally out of her reverie. "What is it, Trish?" She asked, tilting her head to the side in confusion.

"Your dad sent me to come and get you. It's time for pictures! Then we can go out to eat. And can we hurry up with that last part? I'm starving."

"It figures," The brunette laughed and hooked an arm around the shorter girl, exiting the cramped space of the bathroom. The large crowd had been cut in half, but conversations still buzzed all about, interlacing with each other. Ally spotted her father talking to Mr. De La Rosa and waved to them. "There's my dad—"

"Nuh uh uh, this way." Trish suddenly got behind her bestie and began shoving her forward, back towards the doors of the auditorium. Ally had no clue what was happening as her shoes skidded across the linoleum tiles.

"Okay, what's happening?" Ally asked slowly. "I don't wanna go back in here, Trish—"

"Congratulations, sweetheart!" Penny suddenly emerged from behind a corner, arms outstretched, making Ally gasp in surprise.

"M-Mom?" She stammered, looking back and forth between Penny and Trish, eyes wide. "But how were you able to get here in time? I didn't see you in the audience."

Penny let an arm drop to her side. "Well, I didn't get here in time for the ceremony honey, I'm so sorry...but I wanted you to at least see me here. Is that okay with you?"

Ally shrugged sheepishly, rubbing her arm. "It'll have to be." She then reached out and gave her mother a quick hug. "Thanks for coming, Mom. You didn't have to. I appreciate it."

Penny smiled. "You're welcome, baby. But I think there's someone else you'd like to see even more than me..."

Ally's heart jolted as the figure of Austin Moon stepped out from a little bit behind Penny. He had a soft smile on his face, hands sheepishly parked in his pockets as he walked forward. But besides looking older, nothing much had changed. He was still the boy she'd fallen for two years ago.

Why hadn't she remembered today was his release date? She supposed in the frenzy of her graduation it'd slipped her mind. "Oh my God..." She breathed, tears pricking her eyes. This wasn't a dream anymore. He'd finally come back.

"Come here, you dork." Austin threw his arms around her tightly, lifting her off the ground slightly and spinning her around in a circle. She buried her face in the crook of his neck, inhaling his familiar scent that she'd been so long without. The tears came freely, dampening the collar of his shirt lightly. Oh, how much she missed this.

When they finally pulled away from the embrace Austin studied her face. His doubts and reservations from yesterday had been pushed towards the back of his head at this point. Ally was obviously older, and she was a bit taller; her hair was a lighter shade of brown but he liked it. But that smile...it was what he'd been longing to see. "You look totally amazing."

She blushed, hands resting on his shoulders. "You're not so bad yourself."

Austin chuckled and then noted the cap on her head. "You finally made it, huh? I'm so proud of you, sunshine."

The nickname that once upon a time had made her cringe now made her heart flutter. Pressing a hand to the back of his neck she kissed him, not knowing if Trish or her Mom were still standing there but not caring. His lips connected perfectly to her own as she welcomed the feeling of bliss once again. His strong arms made her feel safe and secure; being in them was nothing short of perfect.

He was perfect.

* * *

Dinner had gone over fairly well, but most of the time at the restaurant Austin and Ally spent catching up with one another. Austin didn't have a whole lot to offer, but Ally did. She made a point not to mention any of the boys that had tried to hit on her, or the dates (granted, very very few) she'd relented to. Maybe she was afraid, or maybe she wanted to see if he would bother asking.

Naturally the Dawson's had invited Austin to stay with them until he found a place to stay. Penny had left shortly after dinner ended to catch her plane, so it was only a snoozing Lester in the living room by the time Ally got changed and settled.

"Hey, you look nice." Austin commented as she bounded down the stairs, phone in her hand.

Ally laughed. "It's just sweats and a T-shirt."

He crossed one leg over the other and patted the seat on the couch next to him. "Still look great."

Ally shrugged sheepishly and plopped down, swiping the remote from his lap. "You wanna watch anything special?" She asked as she began surfing through the guide.

"Nah, it's up to you." He sighed a little and leaned his head back on a couch pillow. Why did his conversation with Jeremy have to come back to his mind now? Things had gone so well thus far, Ally hadn't changed a bit whatsoever. Kissing her after who knows how long had simply strengthened the feelings he'd already developed for her—but at the end of the day, was she really relieved to see him? "Hey sunshine, can I ask you something?"

Ally nodded and paused the show she'd tuned in to. "Sure, what's up?"

How was he supposed to word this? He didn't want to beat around the bush but then again, perhaps she would take bluntness the wrong way. "Um, I was wondering if...well, did you miss me?"

She looked at him like he had three heads. What kind of question was that supposed to be? "Of course I did, Austin. Why?"

Well, now he couldn't turn back, or say he'd misspoken or something stupid like that. Sitting up, he readjusting himself so he was directly facing her. "Two years is a long time, Ally. A lot of things happened...your parents divorced, your mom moved to Africa...I mean, you graduated today! I feel like during all of that you maybe didn't think about me. I don't—"

"Slow down, slow down." Ally tossed the remote to the side and stared at him. "Austin, what are you talking about? I've thought about you every single day since you left. That night in the basement meant everything to me, and I missed you like crazy. I hope you missed me just as much."

Austin stayed quiet for a minute, eyes roaming her face. He had missed her, much more. But the question remained: Was she lying? He couldn't tell. "What?" She asked sharply, annoyed at the silence. "Where is all of this coming from, anyways?"

The blond sighed, raking a hand through his hair. "Listen, Jeremy was saying how he had a girl but once he went to juvie, she stopped loving him. And if that happened with you, I wouldn't be surprised. You're gorgeous, Ally, I'm sure there have been plenty of guys that have asked you out, right?"

Ally felt confused and a little hurt that Austin was thinking this way, but his last statement caught her off guard. She knew what his reaction would be if she told him about the dates she'd been on. "A few...but Austin, they didn't mean anything. I swear."

His face fell but he was trying so hard not to show his disappointment. Her stomach clenched a little, wondering what was going through his mind right now. She honestly couldn't blame Austin for being nervous or doubting that she still held a torch for him. What would anyone else do in his situation?

But she loved him, so much. That hadn't changed and never would. In fact her feelings for him had grown stronger, not decreased, over the two years. He needed to know that. "Austin, look..." She gently rested a hand on his forearm. "When I saw you in the auditorium today, it was the best moment in my life. I couldn't have been more happy. I get where you're coming from, I mean earlier I was thinking about if you didn't love me."

Austin looked up at her. Ally was having doubts too? "Really?"

She nodded, offering a thin smile. "Yep. And time does that to a person. People fall in and out of love all the time, even sometimes with their soulmates." Her parents came to mind and she shook the sad feeling away. "But I love you, Austin. You got me from day one, I swear. I wouldn't mind you being around for the rest of my life. I mean that, okay?"

He sighed, feeling a bit stupid for even bringing it up in the first place. "Okay." His hand lightly caressed her cheek, feeling a smile tugging at his lips. Ally always managed to bring one about. "I'm sorry for being an idiot."

She shook her head, goosebumps pricking her arms at the feeling of his callused fingers on her smooth skin. "You're not an idiot, shut up."

Austin chuckled, thankful that the Gods above had given this girl to him. "You're perfect, you know that?" He leaned in closer, voice dropping in volume, brown eyes flicking down to her rosy lips. "Been meaning to ask...will you be my girlfriend?"

For some reason she couldn't find it in herself to nod. Their faces were centimeters apart. Everything about him was intoxicating, it made her heart race rapidly. "Of course."

Relief flooded him. "I love you so much, sunshine."

Her cheeks turned pink. "I love you too."

And, without so much as another whisper, he tenderly pressed his lips to hers.

* * *

**So it ended up being a two-shot! Unless y'all beg for more, this story is done. :) I have so many ideas for new full-lengths, this being one of them:**

**Love Equals Hate**

**Imagine a world where being gay was accepted wholeheartedly and being straight was ridiculed—seems weird, right? Well, that's the world Ally Dawson lives in. Happily nestled in with her mothers Penny and Melody, Ally didn't think she could ever have feelings for guys—well, until Austin Moon comes along.**

**I really wanna write that one, because c'mon...it's 2014. If you're still against the LGBT community, you have issues.**

**It's still in the rough stages! Review and tell me what you thought about this, if you like the Love Equals Hate idea, or want to send me more ideas! I'm always here (except at night bc y'know sleep)**

**I apologize for typos :x**

**-aria**


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